Britons were treated to the spectacular sight of the northern lights illuminating skies in unusual parts of the country this week.
While the aurora borealis is typically most visible in Scotland, areas further south also enjoyed the astronomical phenomenon on Tuesday night.
The colourful displays were visible in Whitley Bay, and Tyne and Wear early on Wednesday, where clear skies provided ideal viewing conditions.
These rare sightings have delighted skygazers across the UK, with many capturing stunning photographs of the vibrant light show.
The northern lights are seldom seen in the UK, making this week's widespread visibility particularly noteworthy.
The aurora borealis is caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun.
These storms emit electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles and sometimes collide with Earth.
Most solar particles are deflected, but some are captured by Earth's magnetic field, creating the spectacular displays we see.
Auroras display several colours, including purple, blue and pink, and are most visible at night.
These colours result from two primary gases in Earth's atmosphere: oxygen and nitrogen.
Oxygen produces a green light, while nitrogen gives off hints of purple or blue.
A red hue can appear when oxygen very high in Earth's atmosphere interacts with solar particles.
The increased frequency of northern lights sightings is linked to the sun's current activity cycle.
Stephen Dixon, spokesman for the Met Office, explained: "People have noticed the northern lights more in the last year as the sun is in its solar maximum phase of an 11-year cycle, meaning higher frequency of solar activity on the sun."
"It can interact with the Earth's atmosphere and bring us the northern lights as we know them in the UK," he added.
Dixon noted that aurora sightings were possible over northern Scotland this week.
"That chance of aurora sighting continues over Thursday and Friday," he said.
The solar maximum creates more opportunities for the spectacular light displays to be visible at lower latitudes than usual.
Sky-watchers have another astronomical event to look forward to this weekend.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the UK on Saturday.
The phenomenon occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, though they won't be completely aligned.
The eclipse is expected to be visible from 9.56am to 12.14pm, with the peak in London at around 11.03am.
Weather conditions may affect visibility in some areas.
"The north west of Scotland, which has the best window for seeing the partial solar eclipse, is unfortunately going to see rain and cloudy skies," said Stephen Dixon.
"However, those further south in England on Saturday should see some break in the cloud."
Find Out More...
While the aurora borealis is typically most visible in Scotland, areas further south also enjoyed the astronomical phenomenon on Tuesday night.
The colourful displays were visible in Whitley Bay, and Tyne and Wear early on Wednesday, where clear skies provided ideal viewing conditions.
These rare sightings have delighted skygazers across the UK, with many capturing stunning photographs of the vibrant light show.
The northern lights are seldom seen in the UK, making this week's widespread visibility particularly noteworthy.
The aurora borealis is caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun.
These storms emit electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles and sometimes collide with Earth.
Most solar particles are deflected, but some are captured by Earth's magnetic field, creating the spectacular displays we see.
Auroras display several colours, including purple, blue and pink, and are most visible at night.
These colours result from two primary gases in Earth's atmosphere: oxygen and nitrogen.
Oxygen produces a green light, while nitrogen gives off hints of purple or blue.
A red hue can appear when oxygen very high in Earth's atmosphere interacts with solar particles.
The increased frequency of northern lights sightings is linked to the sun's current activity cycle.
Stephen Dixon, spokesman for the Met Office, explained: "People have noticed the northern lights more in the last year as the sun is in its solar maximum phase of an 11-year cycle, meaning higher frequency of solar activity on the sun."
"It can interact with the Earth's atmosphere and bring us the northern lights as we know them in the UK," he added.
Dixon noted that aurora sightings were possible over northern Scotland this week.
"That chance of aurora sighting continues over Thursday and Friday," he said.
The solar maximum creates more opportunities for the spectacular light displays to be visible at lower latitudes than usual.
Sky-watchers have another astronomical event to look forward to this weekend.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the UK on Saturday.
The phenomenon occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, though they won't be completely aligned.
The eclipse is expected to be visible from 9.56am to 12.14pm, with the peak in London at around 11.03am.
Weather conditions may affect visibility in some areas.
"The north west of Scotland, which has the best window for seeing the partial solar eclipse, is unfortunately going to see rain and cloudy skies," said Stephen Dixon.
"However, those further south in England on Saturday should see some break in the cloud."
Find Out More...